Brilliant script. Excellent acting. Simply stated, the best movie I have seen in several years. Don't miss it!

Brilliant.

Brilliant, and the best film I have seen all year. Excellent characters, beautiful visuals, and in the screening I saw I have never heard a theater erupt in laughter so loudly and sit in sadness so quietly before.

A perfect 10--a great movie.

Fresh, honest. An inspired and funny look at men's searches for sex and love.

A very realistic movie. In a time of Hollywood acting and Hollywood endings, this movie is a breath of fresh air. It is not a feel good movie, but at times extremely funny and entertaining. Too many people see this movie expecting a laugh riot...It's not!!! What it is is a look at real people doing real things and it is very fun to watch. At times it is very depressing, but that';s real life. I feel sorry for everybody who doesn't like this movie...I say watch it again, now that you know what to expect, and maybe you'll see how truely great it is.… Expand

Outstanding film, an instant classic. How you could give this movie a negative review is beyond me. The acting is superb. This is an honest film and real as a movie can be-- it wasn't made just to make you laugh. If you missed the point, I guess that's your loss. Go watch American Pie or something.

This movie was moving and beautiful, but I actually preferred the book, where Miles's character is just as real but a little bit less of a downer.

So far, this is the best film of 2004. It's just simply one perfect film. Sad, wise and VERY funny. Very highly recommended.

The smartest funny movie I have seen in years.

Sideways deserves all of the positive reviews it is receiving. It is such a breath of fresh air in a movie world where beautiful, perfect looking actors with no talent take in $20 million a movie. I loved Sideways for its brutally honest depiction of how life really is if you make bad decisions in life, but I also admire the writer

Pure cinematic magic!

A refreshingly good film!

Fantastic film. Paul Giamatti is amazing and so is everything from story to soundtrack.

The user comments on this website match the sentiments I get from friends and family. Sideways is hit or miss - you love it or hate it. Simply put, the script and the acting are excellent (seriously... top notch), but the movie is never exciting or wildly dramatic. If you're the kind of person who gets excited about convincing characters and plots then you shouldn't pass this one up. Otherwise, you've been warned.… Expand

The best non-action American movie of this pre-pubescent 21st century.

I don't think any other movie has portrayed male friendship as boldly or touching a manner. We see the good, the bad, and the ugly -- from their unfailing support and affection for each other, to their codependent enabling of each other's destructive habits. The movie also contrasts the slow dance of a new, real -- yet tentative -- love (between Giamatti and Madsen) with the intoxication of overwhelming physical attraction (between Hayden Church and Oh) in an unusually clear -- and very entertaining -- manner. Each of the actors brings incredible truth to the characters. You see yourself in them and many others you have known. This movie belongs in every collection. Each viewing will reveal more layers of the uniquely human experience -- our complicated, messy lives, our desire for that perfect moment (or wine), and the pure bliss we experience when we achieve them, however fleetingly.… Expand

Very very very great movie!!!!

The movie was very poignant in its representation of the day to day agonies and painful joys present in contemporary life. By using wine as a conceit, the writers were able to express the complexities of modern day friendships, separation, depression and love. Subtle, devoid of hollywood gimik and rich with the flavor of human experience, Sideways could very well be the best film of the year.

Hilarious and heartfelt. I would have applauded if this movie won the Oscar. A great human comedy.

An absolutely incredible film with great characters and amazing acting.

Very well written and directed, superbly acted across the board (with special mention going to Paul Giamatti for deceptively fine work), and emotionally, not easy. I can see why there are those who hated it, but I don't agree with them. I think this film is most definitely a contender for the year's best.

Definitely deserved the best picture nomination and probably should have won. The best movie I've ever seen in my life. Paul Giamatti's performance was amazing, particularly when he had to react in close-up with no lines when his ex tells him that's she's pregnant. That was an inspirational moment in acting history and I would defy anyone to try an pull off that scene in 100 takes or less.… Expand

People seem mystified as how this movie could pull in such great reviews and receive such praise. Actually, folks, it's very simple: Sidways is a really, really good movie all the way through, which is rare. Rarer still is that it's one that rewards patience, intelligence, and humanism. And rarest of all, it's a movie that, in this day and age, doesn't have any "hip" teenagers, mindless violence, or is a remake or a sequel of some kind. Put it together, and it's no wonder critics ate this up. I was suspect of this movie's rave reviews, and it's always fun to go against a critically praised movie (which is clearly what some people are doing here, just for the hell of it) but the fact of the matter is that Sideways delivers, and repeat viewings only reinforce it, not dilute it. Get over it and move on to you next disappointing summer blockbuster, people. The more of those you see, the more movies like Sideways I get, as the descerning audiences lie in wait for something that cleanses the palette like, well, a fine wine. Drink up and enjoy.… Expand

Extremely heartfelt and original.

Great Movie... I loved it... so funny and soo much more entertaining than The Aviator or Million Dollar Baby.

I saw this film with a friend of mine named g-unit... and as he raved for the film my ferver grew. Then out of nowhere Thomas Hayden (cry-baby) Church comes in and forticates with everyone on the screen, then has the audacity to cry to the audience... i was not convince g-unit.... not at all.... don't come over ever again after that piece of crap of a film... don't try to hold my hand go away ag money just like paul giamatti and get crunked off of pino!!!… Collapse

Best movie I've seen in a long time. Well written, acted, cast and filmed. Cheers!

I can only deduce that the majority of low scores given to this awesome film is the result of years of mindless, processed, stupid fake Hollywood crap brainwashing.

One of the best comedies i have seen in a long time.

YEARS AGO IN THE 70S THERE MIGHT BE 45 GREAT MOVIES IN A YEAR WELL IN THE 200S THERES ONLY ABOUT 1 A YEAR AND THIS FIM SIDEWAYS WHICH I CAN SEE DAILY TILL I DIE ,HAS EVERYTHING FROM WEDDINGS TO WINE IN IT .......IF U DONT LIKE THIS MOVIE PLEASE DONT GO TO THE MOVIES YOUR NOT A FAN

The 94 score on here says it all. If you didn't like it then you didn't get it.

I think a little life experience is needed to fully appreciate this film. Don't expect any explosions or epiphanies just a beautiful and thoughtful trip through life's ups and downs. Very funny too. People giving this film very low scores are Silly.

One of the greatest movies of all time. Alexander Payne is a master of his craft. I don't understand why so many people here didn't find it funny...I thought it was hilarious. Anyway, this film kicks ass. Great script, great shooting, great acting, great directing...everything is perfection. Only American Beauty and a select other few films rate above Sideways in my book.

this movie is neither a 10 nor a 0, but I'm giving it a 10 to offset all of you who don't have a clue. It is very entertaining and quite refreshing compared to all the formula crap coming out of Hollywood. All you folks who didn't get it ought to consider staying home to watch something really stimulating, like American Idol.

My true rating would probably be 9.5, but this was a fantastic film (and the best Payne work to date). Giamatti was perfectly cast, and the only critiques I could offer would be relatively minor. The two hours will seem long to some, but they flew by for me. I can't wait to see it again.

An extraordinary movie that mesmerically blends outrageous comedy with a deep emotionalism. Easily the best film about men and how they interact. I think the dissenters below are young men who haven't experienced enough of life to know just how true and honest this film really is.

Paul Giamatti -- how does he get to star in the best movie of the year, two years in a row?

Loved it. It's Alexander Payne's best film. Paul Giamatti and Virginia Madsen should win Oscars for their performances.

Fantastic!

Marvellous!

A GREAT SERIOUS COMEDY.

Absolutely loved it....two guys who should know better living life like they were 22.

One of the best movies I have ever seen. Everything from the acting and cinematography to the writnig and directing worked beautifully. Movie is full of human touch!

Excellent movie. I'm with Bob B., get over your ultra-conservative values for just a minute and enjoy a great movie. Contrary to what some people here apparently thought, I found the characters extremely believable and sympathetic. I would say there was probably slightly more drama than comedy in this movie, but both parts were done extremely well.

Funny, emotional and genuine. Could only be "offensive" to those who are scared of opening their eyes to the people and relationships of our time. Genius at work.

Wow! People either loved it or hated it, 0 or 10. Not much in between. Well, I just saw it and I loved it!. I also understood why many hate it. This is one of those movies that you either get it or you don

Perfect, a real movie, nothing compares!!! And to thonse who said it wasn't good, maybe you need to look up the definition of a true cinematic experience, you'd get a picture of Giamatti and Church!

Flawless and hilarious. if you have a low intelligence and are only entertained with explosions and slapstick (not to dis either of the two) then this is not for you.

Beautiful for wine lovers and budding wine lovers alike!

Amazing, funny and poetic road-movie.

The low ratings portrayed are classic examples of an underground film for those intelligent few, and then the "average" movie audience gets wind of it, sees it, doesn't understand it, and doesn't like it, I guess ignorance isn't always bliss huh? Quit freaking out, it's a movie, go home and rent Independence Day, and don't forget to stop at Mickey D's on the way.

A fabulous movie. The story is unique, the charachters are twisted and it made me laugh.

A critically acclaimed movie that lives up to its hype. Realistic, believable characters warts and all, beautiful scenery, moments of hilarity and I don't even care for wine. Strong, natural performaces, a script that reflects the way people talk rather than how screenwriters think they talk.

This was as perfect as movies get. It is very deserving of the 94 rating by the critics. I am not sure who these people (ie., users) are who did not get the movie. Why did they go, wasn't there a monster truck rally they could have watched?

Dangerously, intoxicatingly perfect. I'm afraid we have a classic on our hands.

Simply enjoyable. Make sure you watch with a bottle of wine. I notice those who marked it poorly all seem to have trouble with spelling. So perhaps if you're an uneducated yak who doesn't understand story driven dialogue and prefers SFX to be the main character then this ain't for you.

SUPERB! Unforunately not a movie for the avearge JOE who cannot appreciate a film that has 90 minutes of non stop action and violence. If you like Arnold movies, thought Titanic was a good movie or think Adam Sandler rocks don't bother seeing the movie, If you've seen Garden State, Crash and/or Assasination of Richard Nixon and loved them go see Sideways.

Amazing, justsimply amazing.

How can anyone not warm to this film!

Brilliant.

Possibly one of the smartest comedies thus far in this millenium. Anyone who doesn't like this movie is obviously too retarded to understand it.

i loved this movie i didnt see one thing wrong with it. I dont understand why people cant except realizm in movies this has excellent dialouge it was had some very funny moments i am glad i didnt listen to anybody when they told me this movie was bad, i enjoyed it greatly, deffinatly recommend for a viewing.

"Sideways" is inarguably the best film of our decade; a classic that can stand up to any great film from any era in cinema. [***SPOILERS***] This is film at its most intoxicating, its most poignant, and funniest. Paul Giamatti was screwed out of even being nominated for Best Actor, while Thomas Hayden Church and Virginia Madsen were justly nominated for their parts, even if they didn';t win. The real genius of "Sideways" is that director Alexander Payne creates empathy for two guys that when you think about it, aren't really that sympathetic. Miles (Giamatti) is a grump, and usually drunk on wine from the night before. Jack is an aging sex addict. Not a lot of wiggle room to like these characters. But Payne makes us care and by the end of it they've both been through so many experiences that we can only hope they've learned. And the knock that ends the movie is pure bliss. Raise your glasses and treat yourself to a classic that is guaranteed to age better than "Memento" ever will. This is one that you savor.… Expand

To begin, this was a delightfully written and acted film. How anyone could not connect and feel for Paul Giametti's character astounds me. It saddens me how egotistical twerps attack this film, rating it badly simply on the grounds that it was rated highly by critics, though a films quality must always be percieved without the presence of a review, in my opinion. Therefore, I am slightly surpirsed by those who didnt enjoy the film for what it was; an intimate, warming tale of a man, whose life it seems can only genuinely be related to and understood by those with a conscious, and those who don't take life for granted. In conclusion, Sideways is a truly uplifting film which i recommend highly, regardless of the critics' reviews.… Expand

One of the cleverest and funniest films that I have had a pleasure watching. A real delight, how all comedy should be - clever and edgy. All those who did not like this film are obviously lacking in intelligence and sense of humour!

One of the best movies I have ever seen...it's so fucking good!!! I don't understand why people dislike this movie... It made me feel very good!! And the humor isn't big like Naked Gun, but it's funny!!!

Can't describe how real and awesome this movie is. absolute perfection in every sense of the word.

Life-affirming. Anyone who doesn't get it has a black hole where their heart should be.

A real comedy. about real people, for real adults. loved the snowball rolling down a hill pace. give an 11 to the casting agent. i roared throughout.

Thank God there are movies like this being made!

Most movies offer 90 minutes of escapism at best with more than a few making me wish I could escape the theatre. Once in a very long while a movie comes along that makes such an impression that days after viewing it I'm still remembering various scenes with great relish. I have not seen a better movie this year. Even as I write this I'm smiling as delectable moments from the movie (of which there are many) come back to entertain me from my memory. This movie is about nuance, emotion, humour and pathos. To those other voters who gave this movie a one or zero I suggest they go back to their freightrains and 120 decibel explosions.… Expand

It's the greatest film of 2004 and will most likely not be surpassed.

It's hard to believe that films such as Sideways exist: films that make the viewer laugh and cry, be shocked and be out of breath, and make them horrified and simultaneously unable to control their laughter. It's a film that takes the viewer in for two hours and drains them of energy as the events that befall the characters become increasingly unpredictable, severe, and often hilarious. Sideways is a film that should be seen by everyone. Regardless of the fact that it was made merely a year ago, it is one of the greatest films ever made.… Expand

I loved this movie. It had complex characters, a simple story, was hilarious and at the same time deeply touching & profound. What a great film- It's going to be sweeping the award shows this year.

Great movie! Don't listen to the negative reviews by the morally righetous. This movie depicts two charcters honestly. There might not be the "happy ending" (the bad guys in this film don't get their due turns), but life isn't like that.

Even though I don't drink wine, I could completely relate to this movie. I've a few friends who act exactly like both charcters and even though, I depise the way they act sometimes, I love them with all my heart. And I know, that's hard to grasp, loving someone whose certain traits you hate, but I suppose that's what true diversity is all about. I'm glad someone tried making the lowlife the main charcter and showed him bumbling his way through the movie. I love that the supporting charcter didn't get in trouble for cheating on his woman. It's true to some people's life and I'm glad that people got to watch it on screen. I'm also glad that you got mad, but I'm sorry that you transitioned that anger into a negative rating.… Expand

well acted/so funny so human! paul and thomas were the greatest team. have not enjoyed a movie so much in years. and touching to boot!! have a ball go see it!!! you will laugh on your way home. great talent!! need more movies like this!!

The problem with 'Sideways' is not the acting, story, direction, or production. But it's all the positive reviews that it's getting. Traditionally, when a movie gets a great review - regardless of the topic - John Q runs out to see it. Then John Q hates it because it (the film), even though it was great, was not his sort of movie. Feeling let down by the critics - and having wasting so much money - John Q rips the movie to shreds in his own mind, badmouthing it whenever he gets the chance. This happened to 'Sideways'. I have many friends who went out saw, rented, or bought this movie - based on Metacritic and other review sites. They aren't exactly ones to sit through a movie like this, and I told them that. But no, they didn't want to read up on the plot or anything else about the movie. They went and watched it, and hated it. Now they rant about how "ghey" it was. I saw this film and loved it. Why? Because I like movies like this. This was a grade 'A' film with a great story. What I'm trying to say is read up on a movie before you see it, if you've never sat through a movie like this before - just because it gets good reviews doesn't mean you can sit through this one. It a matter of education, that's the only reason this movie has a 6:9 (+/-) ratio with critics to readers. A matter of education. Oh, and Richards - hate to bother you and all but I'm not a natural borne "American" nor do I follow "American" humor (I despise films like 'Eurotrip', childish s...). But, I loved this film. So go ahead and ostracize me from your chic-Euro-click.… Expand

Original and entertaining, i can't see why people give this film below 6.

This was a masterpiece of total delight!! Loved it from beginning to end.

This film is a beautiful collision of humor and poignancy. All of the actors deliver compelling performances, but Giamatti's effort transcends the medium of "acting" as he simply becomes, "Miles", the central character in this drama. It is unconscionable that the Academy overlooked Giamatti for a Best Actor nomination.

"This film was offensive"... "should have been an NC17" ... "totally inappropriate" .... You people make me sick! This was a GREAT movie and deserves a much higher score than most of you conservative wackos gave it. In the future, please do us all a favor and abstain from tarnishing the image of wonderful movies because of your own personal insecurities. I highly recommend this movie. Two thumbs up!… Expand

The best movie of the year for me...When is it out on DVD as I will be first to buy. Great acting and in my opinion deserved to win all the Oscars! See it now if you have not.

Just a great movie!

One of those movies that's so good, you wish you could keep on seeing it for the first time!

Fantastic. Alexander Payne is one of the best filmmakers alive.

This movie brings out the emotion of the everyman. The ups and the downs of life crashing and rising one day to the next.To understand this movie would take nothing more than knowing the compassion of mankind.

Its totally unfair to complain about this movie. I loved it!!!!! it was just so great all the way through. Im only 16 so i dont know if that has anything tgo do with it but its really fantastic

This movie is excellent! An amazing script with great acting. It touches on so many real life issues and does so in such a sutly humorous way. I feel that many people will not understand the greatness of this movie, but it is a masterpiece!!!

Reviewers are absolutely right, film just leaves a good taste in your mouth. No cheap movie stuff here, just a good simple story with great actors. Well done.

I went into this movie with low expectations. From what I had been told by friends, the critics were wrong - it was long and dull. of course, these are friends who liked "Garfield," but I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Anyhow, turns out, my opinion of the movie matched the critics more closely than my negative friends. "Sideways" is a movie, IMO, about dealing with the disappointments of middle age as seen through the adventures of two guys who haven't really fully grown up. Over the course of the film, we see that the kind of adolescent games they probably used to play when they were freshmen year roommates in college have some pretty major real world repurcusions when played by adults. Paul Giamatti is typically excellent as Miles, a writer and alchoholic who has found himself stuck in a mind numbing job with only a failed relationship and unpublished novel to show for his 30 odd years of life. I have rarely empathized so much with a character in a movie. Howver, I think many people will have had to have experienced what he is experiencing to feel the same way. Outstanding performances by all the leads made for some scenes I found unforgettable - notably one where Giamatti has to recover a lost wallet. Sure, the movie won't be for everyone - what movie is? None-the-less, I found it to be one of the finest I've seen this year.… Expand

I am a huge Alexander Payne fan (all his previous films have been on my Top Ten lists each year I saw them) and he continues a remarkable streak of films that are so humane and warm and funny and real and adult that any filmgoer should thank their lucky stars Payne is making movies for us to enjoy. Don't get me wrong, there are many great American filmmakers currently at work, but none as consistent as Payne. He has yet to make ONE SINGLE WEAK film yet. He has not made many, granted, but they are all good. There are so many miracles contained within this film that an in-depth review would take up this whole page, so I will just say that it is one of the best movies of the year and one of the best movies ever made about male friendship. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who has had a close male friend for a long time and dare them not to walk away from this film having not related to either Jack or Miles. Payne perfectly capture the frustration, jealousy, anger, love, appreciaton, and dependence that two friends can have. Jack and Miles are the two fully realized male characters portrayed in a film in years, and it would be a TRAVESTY if this didn't win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay (no other movie comes close, and if Marber wins for "Closer" I will kill someone). All the acting is great, but top honors go to Thomas Haden Church who is FANTASTIC every moment here, as well as Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. This is clearly the best ensemble acting of the year for sure. Enough from me, just forget about "Alexander" or "Christmas with the Kranks" or "Blade: Trinity" and find a local indie theater playing this. You won't regret it.… Expand

This is a beautiful, wry, evocative film. It radiates more humanity than any film I?ve seen in quite a while. The reviewers below who have given it ?1? and ?0? are idiots, plain and simple. I?d like to see an IQ comparison between those who appreciate this film, and those who label it a ?mess? and a ?bore?. There?d be a huge gap, favoring the former group.

So how did these two guys end up being friends? When(Miles) tells us, I thought to myself, of course. It's a perfect detail, one of many in this "Odd Couple" for the millenium. "Sideways" is cathartic. The laughs this film elicits are genuine. You have to laugh, unlike other films where you laugh just to prove you're not humorless. "Sideways" is the rare film that has characters who are knowledgable about something. Even if it has to be wine, it's great to eavesdrop on other people's passions. "Sideways" is vaguely similar to "Almost Famous". Like the Crowe film, there's a road movie element and Payne has a lot to say about the decline of contemporary culture in its secondary narrative. Almost by default, "Sideways" is the best American film of 2004. … Expand

This is what movies should be: well-acted, well-directed, and with great pacing. Though not laugh-out-loud funny, it had subtle humor for the real thinker. Not the 'every man's movie,' but the best movies never are. Certainly worthy of its reviews. An excellent character study.

This is in my top 20 movies of the last decade. It has an amazing script, and no less than three terrific performances by Paul Giamatti (one of the worst snubs in Oscar history) Thomas Hadden Church, and Virginia Madsen. It's very funny, entertaining, and made wine country a fascinating topic for someone like me who had no interest on the subject. It's purely about life and the choices we make.